There are many situations where it is desirable to internally inspect long lengths of pipe that are already in place, either underground, in a building, or underwater. For example, sewer and drain pipes frequently must be internally inspected to diagnose any existing problems and to determine if there are any breaks causing leakage or obstructions impairing the free flow of waste. It is also important to internally inspect steam pipes, heat exchanger pipes, water pipes, gas pipes, electrical conduits, and fiber optic conduits for similar reasons. It is sometimes necessary to internally inspect several hundred feet up to thousands of feet of pipe.
Conventional video pipe inspection systems include a video camera head that is forced down the pipe to display the pipe interior on a video display. The inspection is commonly recorded using a video recorder (VCR) or digital video disk (DVD) and more recently on removable drives such as USB thumb-drives or the like. Conventional video pipe inspection systems have included a semi-rigid push-cable that provides an electromechanical connection between the camera head that encloses and protects the video camera and a rotatable push reel or cable storage drum that is used to pay out push-cable and force the camera head down the pipe. Examples of suitable video push-cables are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,288 issued Oct. 10, 1995 to Mark S. Olsson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,239 issued Sep. 15, 1998 to Mark S. Olsson.
Camera control units are important for managing the camera at the far end of an inspection run, capturing images of areas of interest as still shots or video clips, turning the camera and its built-in sonde transmitter on and off, and viewing the camera's visual data while the inspection is in progress. Because technicians using pipe inspection systems often have to carry their equipment to remote locations such as rooftops and cleanouts not accessible by vehicle, it is important that such equipment be readily man-portable and stable enough to be safely used from a rooftop or other awkward location. The displayed image of the camera's field of view must be large enough to allow the technician to see it clearly during an inspection. Traditional camera control units are often bulky and often must be carried to a job site separately from the corresponding reel and cable drum, necessitating multiple trips by a solo operator.